At 6-4-1-1, Williams Lake Mustangs head coach-general manager Tyrel Lucas says his team is off to a solid start to their 2025-26 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season.
“We’re a younger team, and there’s a lot to learn about junior hockey,” he says. “We’ve got quite a few rookies who are skilled players, but they’re still finding their game at this level. We’ve been doing a pretty good job of that. We’ve got a pretty exciting group of kids who are on the same page, all wanting to do really well and work hard.”
Playing “consistently” is the key word for Lucas on how he wants them to perform.
“Really trying to focus on the details right now,” Lucas explains, who started his junior career in the KIJHL with the North Okanagan Knights in 2000-01. “We want to tighten up defensively. Our goals for and against differential going into last weekend was a plus-seven, which is good, but it can always be better. Taking care of the defensive side, winning our battles on the boards, being solid defensively. The offence hasn’t been a problem—we’ve been able to outscore some teams—but minimizing mistakes and solid defensive play leads to more consistent hockey.”
While Lucas brings an offensive perspective from his playing days (.77 points per game in the KIJHL/.59 PPG in the WHL/ .63 PPG in USports), and seeing the offensive side, he emphasizes a team balance.
“My background is as a skill development coach for the last 15 years as well, so I see the skill side of things, and we brought in Steve Carpenter, who was a defenceman and played pro for nine years in England. His experience has helped our defence a lot, and we’ve seen big improvements from having him here.”
Development and Practice Structure
Skill development is central to the Mustangs program, but it’s balanced with hard work and team play.
“It’s a constant balance between skill development and the work-boot mentality,” Lucas says. “You have to prioritize time on the mental side, like strategy and systems, battle and compete situations, and fundamentals like skating and shooting.”
The team’s week is structured with that in mind. Monday’s focus on skill development, alternating weeks between puck handling, shooting, and skating. Tuesday’s are for battle and compete drills in small-area games, while Wednesday and Thursday shift toward traditional team practices and systems. Off-ice resources like Total Ice Training Centre – started by Lucas in 2012, give players extra opportunities to work on shooting, fitness, and skill development.
Skill Development Philosophy
Lucas sees the league’s younger players coming in with stronger foundational skills than ever before.
“A lot of these players have grown up doing drills in academy-style programs, with access to skill development coaches,” he notes. “It’s a balance—you have to develop skill, but also know how to apply it in a game situation.”
He emphasizes that individual skill alone isn’t enough as sometimes in games, what players work on in drills to develop particular skillsets doesn’t always translate.
“That’s why we combine skill days with small-area games, like three-on-twos or one-on-ones, to help players recognize patterns and make decisions in real-game situations. It’s about translating individual skill into team play.”
Video review, pre-scouting opponents, and tactical practice all contribute to improving players’ game sense.
“It’s all necessary,” Lucas says. “You’re constantly evaluating what you need to be successful against a team that’s doing the same thing against you.”
Also read – Notebook coverage from last week
Teams Make Big Deals
The defending KIJHL champion Grand Forks Border Bruins made a couple of trades on Nov. 5. First, head coach-general manager Dave Hnatiuk re-acquired goalie Eric Kahl from the Warman Wolverines. Kahl played a big part in the Border Bruins winning the regular season championship, league championship and Mowat Cup.
“It’s nice to have Eric back. The guys are excited and speaking with Eric he is too,” says Hnatiuk. “He was a huge piece for us last year and his recent experience in the SJHL will be exciting to see translate here.”
Hnatiuk also moved Keenan Holland to the Fernie Ghostriders for Hayden Evans. Landing Evans gives him a left-handed offensive player, who is a year younger and is familiar with Hnatiuuk who coached him at the BCHC Prospects Game in 2023. It also opens up a 20-year-old spot for the Border Bruins.
For Hnatiuk, Evans is a fresh face.
“It’s a big move that should wake up the room – and Evans will get a chance to play alongside Levi Astill – Evans can score and make plays. We are looking forward to working with him.”
Ghostriders head coach-general manager Chad Scharff said “adding a guy like Holland gives us a different look from a scoring standpoint.”
“Keenan has one of the best shots in our league and we have struggled to score goals,” he adds. “We believe that Keenan can bring an element of pure goal-scoring to our forward group. To get a player like Keenan, you need to be willing to give up a quality person and player in Hayden Evans. We wish Hayden continued success in Grand Forks.”
The Ghostriders also boosted their goaltending depth by acquiring the playing rights of Kael Svenson (2006), who was the KIJHL’s Top Goalie last season while playing for the Sicamous Eagles. In 23 regular season games last season, Svenson was 15-4-0 with one shutout and a 2.40 goals against average with a .941 save percentage.
“We feel that adding a goalie with his track record will give us the confidence to play more free,” says Scharff. “When we were presented with the possibility of bringing in the Goalie of the Year from the past season, I don’t care what your goalie situation looks like, you don’t pass that up. Kael is a competitor who wants to be in the net and is familiar with a lot of our players so it seems like a great fit.”
The Kimberley Dynamiters made a move acquiring the playing rights of 2006-born forward Toren Fron from the Quesnel River Rush in return for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Spencer Bates and future considerations.
“Toren’s compete level is elite. He is very hard to play against in multiple ways,” says Derek Stuart, the Dynamiters head coach-general manager on why he made the deal.
